Plugging the Leak

Good morning, reader

And what a cold morning it is! It's now been over a week since I slept in a house.

I set an alarm for 7:30am as I had an appointment to get my leaky roof fixed. I made porridge and a cup of tea for breakfast to warm me up. Shout out to my mum's friend, David Greenfield, who gave me this little gas camping stove. It's been so useful!

Next I drove to Sandersons Accident Repair near Beeswing. A guy called Mick in Dumfries told me these guys fixed the leaky skylight on his mobile home last year and did a really good job. I dropped by here yesterday and talked to two great blokes, Lee and Davey, who kindly agreed to free up some time and sort my leak.

Unfortunately, to get at the roof vent, they needed to take out the ceiling panel from inside. So I unpacked all my stuff from the van.

Let's took a look at what we're dealing with ...

The guys are pretty certain the water is coming in around the seal of the roof vent. They also did a lot of tutting and muttering over Del Boy's dodgy wiring above the ceiling. 

All done by lunchtime. The van then sat in the sun to let the ceiling 'insulation' and the sealant dry out. Later in the afternoon came the test - we used a hose to check if the roof was successfully sealed and waterproofed. It all looks good, but as Davey said, we won't know for sure until there's a lashing downpour that lasts several hours. So looking forward to that!

This was my temporary office while I waited for the sealant to harden. Lee even made me a cup of coffee. Not sure if that cupcake is vegan.

It was after four before I left Beeswing, so I decided not to head for Glasgow today. I'll miss meeting up with my friend, Lori, as she's going to her hometown for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. Maybe I'll catch her on the way back home. Instead I headed to Ayr.

More bad luck?!?

Less than an hour after I left Sandersons Accident Repair, the van started making some alarming noises. There's a clunky noise whenever I change up or down in the lower gears, and it makes the van jolt. Not good! I stopped at one garage, who told me they're booked solid with work for the next two or three weeks. 

I did some Google research and a few websites suggest this might be a problem with the van's transmission. Once again, my thoughts go back to the scoundrel who sold me the van, AKA Del Boy. Grrr!

Not all bad news ...

Many thanks to Coby at Citadel Leisure Centre, who let me in for free to have a shower and shave. That shower was piping hot and felt fantastic. Got myself a Chinese takeaway (vegetable curry and rice) and settled down for this evening's film: Captain Phillips. You can't go wrong with Tom Hanks!

Tomorrow, I'll try to find a solution to this clunking sound in the van. I may be here in Ayr for some time!

Catch you next time. Thanks for reading.

Brian